Thread: Gildor Inglorion

Gabrielsyme has made 3 posts and is an Elf from Lothlorien and is not online.
Posted Friday 19th March 2004 (05:54am)

Although I would consider Tom and Goldberry my favorite characters in the book, Gildor is, to me, a close second. Is there anywhere I could learn more about him, or is he merely left the enigma Bombadil also seems to be, a character who appears and whose past is left for one's own imagination? The scene at the Woody End is, to me, an ephemeral beauty surpassed only in the chapters in Lothlorien.

Vee has made 2834 posts and is an Elf from Lothlorien and is not online.
Posted Friday 19th March 2004 (10:03am)

A sad story but............ I notice that some of the wives and children of Barahir escaped to Brethil and some passed on to Dor-lomin and the people of Galdor, Hador's son. In TTT Faramir talks about the Rohirrim.....

Quote:

"Indeed, it is said by our lore-masters that they have from of old this affinity with us that they are come from those same Three Houses of Men as were the Numenoreans in their beginning; not from Hador the Goldenhaired, the eElf-friend, maybe, yet from such of his sons and people as went not over Sea into the West, refusing the call. "

So is it possible that descendants of Gildor lived on in the Rohirrim?

Deathmc has made 64 posts and is an Elf from Rivendell and is not online.
Posted Friday 19th March 2004 (01:19pm)

I don't know anything about Gildor Inglorion, besides the things mentioned in LotR - FotR. He is my favorite character in LotR, maybe because he is kinda mysterious. There is little know about him, I mean, I don't know much about him. That is what makes hime special.

Rednell has made 1808 posts and is a Dunedain from Osgiliath and is not online.
Posted Monday 29th March 2004 (12:50am)

This is the passage that you are referring to.

Quote:'I am Gildor', answered their leader, the Elf who had first hailed him. 'Gildor Inglorion of the House of Finrod. We are Exiles, and most of our kindred have long ago departed and we too are now only tarrying here awhile, ere we return over the Great Sea. But some of our kinsfolk dwell still in peace in Rivendell'

Earlier in the book Sam talks about rumours about the Elves leaving Middle Earth and shared these stories with his friends in the tavern. I think this is a disappointing thought for Sam because he has always wanted to meet an Elf and now the Elves are leaving Middle Earth. What better way for Sam to have this experience then when Frodo and company come across a group of Elves who confirm the stories that Sam has heard. Of course we know that Gildor leaves with Frodo and Bilbo.

Quote:Sam could never describe in words, nor picture clearly to himself, what he felt or thought that night, thought it remained in his memory as one of the chief events of his life.

Through his contact with the Elves, Sam knew in his heart that Frodo had a very important task, which will take him away from the Shire and he needs Sam by his side.

Quote: ‘Yes sir. I don’t know how to say it, but after last night I feel different. I seem to see ahead, in a kind of way. I know we are going to take a very long road, into darkness; but I know I can’t turn back. It isn’t to see Elves now, nor dragons, nor mountains, that I want – I don’t rightly know what I want: but I have something to do before the end, and it lies ahead, not in the Shire. I must see it through, sir, if you understand me.’

There is a change in Sam after the meeting with Gildor and the Elves, as he seems somewhat wiser. (is another quote that states this more clearly but I couldn’t find it this evening.)

Gildor seems to have been a part of a communication network, as both Tom Bombadil and Strider had been watching for Frodo since receiving news from Gildor after his encounters with the Hobbits. Since he had relatives living in Rivendell, I wonder if he may also have had the role of scout for Elrond as Haldir was for Galadriel.
So the long and short of it is that there is not a lot of information on Gildor, just what you can manage to glean out of LOTR.

Tyrhael has made 1187 posts and is an Elf from Lothlorien and is not online.
Posted Monday 29th March 2004 (02:02am)

I think I can add that Gildor and his company had just come from the Tower Hills, where they had consulted a palantír in order to look across the seas and see Eressëa, and Varda upon Oiolossë (hence the song about Elbereth).
Furthermore, I think it is safe to say that Gildor notified Tom Bombadillo of the Hobbits' journeying.

Quote:"In the morning we shall have gone; but we will send our messages through the lands. The Wandering Companies shall know of your journey, and those that have power for good shall be on the watch." - Gildor

Quote:"It was no plan of mine, though I was waiting for you. We heard news of you, and learned that you were wandering. We guessed you'd come ere long down to the water: all paths lead that way, down to Withywindle." -Tom Bombadillo

Galin has made 1362 posts and is a Hobbit from Buckland and is not online.
Posted Wednesday 14th November 2012 (07:01pm)

Isn't he the heir of Finrod? I thik he told frodo or something in 'Three is Company.' I know he mentioned Finrod.

Inglorion likely means (but technically need not necessarily mean) 'son [or descendant] of Inglor' but yes Gildor is of the House of Finrod, as already noted.

So who is Inglor of the House of Finrod? And should it not be the House of Finarfin rather?

This has to do with Tolkien niggling between first and second editions. When Tolkien wrote this statement, and published it, Finrod was the father of Galadriel and Inglor Felagund, and Finrod had remained in Aman. In a sense 'Finrod' was Finarfin at this point, so in a sense Tolkien 'really' meant 'of the house of Finarfin'.

Later Inglor Felagund becomes Finrod Felagund, and Finrod father of Galadriel becomes Finarfin... but Tolkien did not change (obviously) this text concerning Gildor Inglorion of the House of Finrod.

He maybe saw no great reason to, and perhaps (from an internal perspective) Finrod had become so well known in Middle-earth that one could say 'House of Finrod' instead of House of Finarfin. And Inglor can be some unknown Elf in any case.

The question that has intrigued folks since this change came to light is: did Tolkien once consider Gildor as the son or descendant of Inglor Felagund himself -- that is, the famed Elf who was later [externally] named Finrod Felagund?

In any case Tolkien knew that no one knew that Finrod was once named Inglor. Now we know, but Tolkien could not have known that we would someday know.

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